Chain saws are commonly used for cutting wood. Although chain a saws are frequently used for the cutting of wood, they are also used to perform many other cutting tasks. For example, chain saws can be used for cutting other materials. In some applications, such as firefighting, it is common for chain saws to be used for cutting wood, nails, metals, concrete, tile, and other relatively hard materials in an emergency situation. These hard materials are encountered when a chain saw is used to cut through floors, walls or other structural components in responding to a fire.
As a chain saw is used, the cutting members of the saw chain will typically wear down quickly and require frequent sharpening. This is true even with relatively soft materials, such as soft woods. It is a much greater problem when cutting harder materials. Even the mere striking of nails or screws while cutting through wooden wall or floor structures is very derogatory and can immediately dull a saw chain. When the saw chain cutting members become dull, the chain saw is temporarily taken out of service so that the cutting members can be resharpened.
The amount of wear exhibited by the saw chain, and the frequency at which such resharpening is required will vary depending on the demands placed on the saw chain. The required frequency of resharpening also depends on the construction and quality of the saw chain. Unfortunately, the cutting members of conventional saw chains tend to become dull quickly under easy conditions in wood, and they dull extremely fast when materials other than wood are encountered.
There has long been a need for a saw chain which is more resistant to wear and dulling, which is convenient and cost effective to manufacture, and which reduces the expenses associated with saw chain sharpening and other maintenance. This need has been especially acute for those who use saw chains for the cutting of materials other than wood or those who encounter rocks, soil or other material while cutting wood.
In an effort to meet this need, some saw chains having carbide cutting teeth have been produced. These saw chains have satisfied some of the aforementioned needs, but unfortunately the production of such saw chains requires expensive production techniques, such as manually affixing of each cutting element. Such saw chains are also expensive to maintain due to frequent breakage of the hardened cutting elements. Breakage and dislodgement of the hardened cutting elements has severely impeded their acceptance in the market for saw chains.
A need thus remains for a saw chain with increased resistance to breakage, general wear and extreme dulling and which is economical to produce and maintain. These and other benefits may be provided by the novel features and aspects of the inventions described herein.